Mr Gordo's World Expands
by Eris Goddess of Discord
Summary: Toys, they have a world and logic that's all their own.


DISCLAIMER: No infringement of copyright is intended. You know the drill, anyone appearing on or mentioned on BtVS are ME's. New characters introduced here are mine.  
  
SUMMARY: Toys, they have a world and logic that's all their own.  
  
SPOILERS: If you haven't seen Season 6, shame on you. Also refers to an event in Season 7, episode 3 "Same Time, Same Place."  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is AU in terms of season 7 and an off shoot (side story) of the story I am currently writing. You may have seen it, "Love & Darkness & My Crossbow."  
  
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Mr. Gordo's World Expands  
  
by Eris © 2003 -- All rights reserved.  
  
Buffy climbed the stairs, a Tupperware® container full of stuff firmly in hand. Crossing the hall to Willow's room she raised a fist to knock then paused. On second thought, tonight had been a rough one, it could keep till morning. Turning on her heel she headed off to her room instead.  
  
Closing the door behind her she moved to the bed tossing the box of goodies down. The plastic container slid across the acrylic comforter and stopped as it hit the pillow and collided with a certain plush toy.  
  
Undressing she put on a robe, grabbed her hairbrush and headed back out to the bathroom for a long soak.  
  
"OW." A slightly annoyed voice sounded rubbing its snout and tipping itself upright again. The big box felt cool up against Mr. Gordo's rump. Curious, he tried to investigate this new arrival only to find his lil' piggy hoof trapped under its heavy heavy corner.  
  
This was a serious problem. He pulled with all his stuffed piggy might but it wasn't enough, his hoof was securely entrenched under the clear blue bin. He looked to the box again, it was loaded with a variety of things, 'Oh my, so much new stuff.' Tilting his head he pressed his face against the plastic to get a better look, something was in the box. Make that someone. Through the plastic its features distorted and he couldn't quite make it out. "Hello!" He called. "Hello, you in the box." He wasn't one hundred percent sure if what he saw was what he thought until, it moved ever so slightly. "Hey, wake up!" he tried again, "I could use a bit of help out here." Watching carefully the dark distorted image inside stirred and raised its head.  
  
Turning it lumbered in his direction.  
  
His mouth suddenly went dry at the sight before him and he swallowed hard as it neared the side where he was, "Oh my, are you okay?" he gasped with a slight tremble and unsuccessfully tried to wet his lips.  
  
A deep rumbly voice emanated from inside the box, "Obviously, I've been better," as a single ominous black eye pressed up against the plastic to get a look at the outside world.  
  
"I-I'm sorry." Mr. Gordo stammered.  
  
"S'okay, I've been around a very long time. Seen things. Done things. Been many many places... speaking of which... where am I?"  
  
"You're in my room. Or rather a box in my room."  
  
"You're room?" The dark eye seemed to stare a hole through him.  
  
"M-my girl's room," he corrected injecting a weak smile.  
  
"Fancy and bright." It said looking about, "I think I just lost my home. A blonde girl? She yours?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"She took me outta my nice warm pocket and dropped me in here. I dunno where my girl Rue is now."  
  
"Oh no!" Mr. Gordo fretted. That was his worstest fear ever. Not being with his girl and her family and friends or away from here, his nice, warm, safe room, on her comfy bed or nightstand or on her desk.  
  
The eye pulled away from the plastic and the shadow within bobbed about, "It's okay, it happens to the best of us. I thought she was dead for a very long time..."  
  
'Dead?' Mr. Gordo didn't know that word but he wasn't going to interrupt this new one quite yet.  
  
"...Or I was... But then, one day, I was brought out of the dark and we were reunited again. Willow, the red-haired vampy girl with the bumpy forehead did it."  
  
'Willow?' Mr. Gordo thought, 'Willow doesn't have any more of a funny forehead than my Buffy does. Vampy? I've heard that word before too, usually when Buffy takes out those pointy sticks and climbs out the window.' He was confused again, 'This toy seems to know a lot.' All he knew was he liked Willow, she was quiet and smelled nice and would hold him for long times on her lap as she tapped on her picture machine and scribbled notes or looked through the endless books Buffy would bring up to the room.  
  
Not long ago he had spent days with her snuggling, trying to cheer her up unsuccessfully... So sad... The other had left and she was so so very sad. She held him so tight at night he thought he might burst a seam and she cried so long and hard he thought he'd never be dry again but it got better.  
  
And just recently she had hurt her tummy, oh, that was bad and so ... blechy, all red and ouchie. He had watched from the nightstand as his Buffy changed the white make-better cloths each day but when Willow held him he could hear her stifled groans as she tried to move about. So, ouchie.  
  
"You haven't seen my girl have you?" the shadow asked, "Dark hair and eyes? Sometimes looks like a big dog?"  
  
'WHAT?' he tried to hide his surprise. 'Did it say big dog?' Mr. Gordo was beginning to think maybe the old toy in the Tupperware® box was missing a right big wad of stuffing from its head. 'Dog.' He new that word but he had never seen one. "Uh, no. I haven't seen anyone lately except my Buffy. Oh, and her little sister, Dawn. We did our homework together the other day and listened to Britty Speers music."  
  
"Dawn?" It had heard that name in conjunction with the talking mouth, "Skinny small one, young, long dark hair? Talks a lot?"  
  
"Yes." Gordo smiled wide.  
  
"I know her, we went to the park together with my Rue."  
  
"The park? Wow!" Mr. Gordo had never been to the park. He didn't know what a park was but it sounded very nifty and it was not here. Unfortunately the pain in his hoof reminded him of the task at hand. "Um, say, can you help me I'm kinda caught under your box and it's beginning to hurt."  
  
The eye returned, shifted about assessing the situation, "Okay." Then it disappeared into the dark center of the box again. Mr. Gordo jumped for suddenly, in one quick movement, faster than he believed the other toy was ever capable of, it clung to the lip of the container. He saw it fully now for the first time and gulped as it jumped down landing next to him.  
  
"H-hello, I'm Mr. Gordo." He said politely with an uncertain smile.  
  
"I'm Mr. Doogie Howser." replied the small, dirty bunny that had seen better days.  
  
"P-pleased to meet you." He smiled again at the tattered and torn cloth doll.  
  
Mr. Doogie eyed the plump little pig from top to bottom since he only had the one eye, "I was like you once, all fuzzy and new." He then limped over to the edge of the box where Gordo's foot was caught and lowered his head for a better look, his long worn ears bobbing about in a jerky fashion.  
  
'That must have been a very long time ago indeed,' Mr. Gordo mused, 'to end up like this, and still be loved.' He tried so hard not to be rude, only he couldn't help but stare at the pathetic speck of fuzz as it wiggled about in front of him, a remnant of a once poofy cotton tail. Looking down he cringed at the rabbit's foot all blown open, the toe embroidery stitches all but gone and hanging.  
  
"If we both push," Doogie said, "I think we can get you free." Gordo put his head against the box and Doogie propped his two front paws up. He positioned the bent little foot next to Gordo's hoof, "On the count of three."  
  
"Uh..." Mr. Gordo began with a deep blush, "I don't know--"  
  
Doogie turned his glare seeming to soften, "It's okay, just push."  
  
As they worked together the container shifted slightly and Doogie stepped down hard on the comforter. All of a sudden Mr. Gordo's hoof popped out from under the Tupperbox. Happily he trotted about putting his weight on it, testing it.  
  
"Be glad you're not a people or that'd be all broken up."  
  
"Heh heh, we have our advantages," he replied grinning widely now.  
  
Mr. Doogie sat down on the comforter and looked about, the bright room hurt his eye. He knew he didn't fit in here. He had to find his owner. "You think your owner knows where mine is?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Gordo wrinkled his snout.  
  
"Maybe that Dawn knows where Willow's crypt is?"  
  
"Crypt?" This toy knew a lot of things, "What's a crypt?"  
  
"It's where my owner and Willow live." He explained.  
  
'Ohhhh, crypt must be another word for room.' Gordo thought, "Okay, well, Willow stays just outside that door in the room...er, crypt at the end of the hall. It used to be my Buffy's. We lived there for a long time but then Buffy and Willow switched. That was right after Willow's long sad time."  
  
Mr. Doogie's button eye brightened if that were possible. That was good, after lights out he would make his way there, unless there were pets. "There aren't any pets are there?" He hated pets.  
  
"Pets?"  
  
"Cats, dogs, rats?"  
  
"Oh, no." Mr. Gordo shook his head, "Willow had a kitty, Miss Kitty Fan... Miss Kitty Fan-ta... Miss Kitty Fantas-tiko but she doesn't come around anymore."  
  
"Mm, probably ran away or dead." The rabbit toy mused.  
  
'There was that word again.' He sat down next to the rabbit, "Dead. What's dead?"  
  
Doogie thought a moment, he was patient, he knew this toy was young and that not all owners shared everything with their play buddies like his would, "That's when you're not alive," he peered about then pointed, "like that lamp or the pillow. Something happens and you're not you anymore. You can't move or talk and I guess think ... and you don't come back undead either. Just go away for good."  
  
Mr. Gordo's eyes grew wide. "Undead?" he was really confused now.  
  
"Yeah, undead. You know vam-pies? Bumpy foreheads and big big fangs..."  
  
Gordo shook his head no, then shivered. 'Fangs.' He remembered Miss Kitty's fangs when she would yawn and she did once playfully go after him, luckily Willow's blonde friend rescued him before she could do anything to hurt him.  
  
"...like Willow can be." He finished.  
  
'Willow is undead?' This was news to him. "She sure looks alive."  
  
"Sure they look alive that's how you know they're undead." he winked and waggled a finger. "They died but got up and became undead that's why they can do that with their faces."  
  
'Oh my,' his lil piggy brain hurt. 'Dead, undead, vam-pie, bumpy foreheads, fangs and poor Willow.' He shut his eyes, this was sooo much to take in.  
  
"...Rue explained it all to me." Doogie continued, "When I'd help her to shift."  
  
"Shift what?"  
  
"Not what. She'd shift."  
  
Mr. Gordo furrowed his brow and cocked his head.  
  
"Turn into the big dog."  
  
"Oh." he was totally lost. "She wouldn't bite you would she?"  
  
"Heh heh, no. She never has. She keeps me safe, that's why I want to find her." He looked at the door, "Tonight, in the dark maybe I can sneak out when your Buffy opens the door."  
  
"NO!" Gordo sounded alarmed, "It's too dangerous."  
  
"Nonsense."  
  
"Well... I don't want you to go. I want you to tell me more--" Gordo stopped abruptly upon hearing a familiar sound beyond the door. "Someone's coming! Hurry, positions!" he yelled.  
  
Mr. Doogie Howser quickly jumped back into the box and retook his position while Mr. Gordo leaned over on his snout and froze.  
  
Buffy, brushing her wet hair, entered the room with Willow in tow. "It was a total loss," she said, "but luckily I thought to check the pockets before putting it in the trash." She picked up the container. "This is everything... well, almost everything. When she wakes up tell her she'll have to catch a nice new dead rat."  
  
"What?" Willow quirked an eyebrow.  
  
"She'll know what I'm talking about." Buffy screwed up her face.  
  
Willow examined the contents of the box. Singling out Mr. Doogie she picked him up, "Thanks, Buffy," and fluttered him about, "I think she'd be real upset if she lost him. It's her only link to the past. Before, you know..."  
  
Buffy nodded knowingly.  
  
Willow put him back in the box and headed off to her room.  
  
Sitting at her dressing table Buffy attended to her hair then began her nightly ritual of creams and cleansers.  
  
Mr. Gordo stayed frozen on the bed, externally he was expressionless but inside he was torn. He was sad as he didn't want Doogie to leave yet, there was so much he wanted to ask him but he was also happy. Happy, Willow would bring Mr. Doogie Howser back to his girl, Rue. He snuck an adoring peek at Buffy. There was no better feeling in the world than to be with the one who loved you. Tonight had been most exciting, he had made a new friend, a new friend who was very smart, a new friend who was staying just down the hall. And maybe if he was lucky, maybe if he was a very good piggy, just maybe he'd get to visit him every so often in Willow's ... crypt, and learn lots more new stuff.  
  
*** The End *** 


End file.
